Sun gods in mythology include Ra in Egypt, Helios and later Apollo in Greece, Sol in Rome, Sól in Norse myth, Surya in Hinduism, Amaterasu in Shinto, Inti among the Inca and Tonatiuh among the Aztecs. Most cultures that farmed or kept calendars gave the sun a god, and the stories often explain why the sun rises, crosses the sky and returns each morning.
Not every sun deity is male. Amaterasu, Sól and the Baltic Saulė are goddesses. Surya and Amaterasu are still honoured in living religions, Hinduism and Shinto, and are described here as believers understand them.
Ra – Egyptian Sun God
Ra was the ancient Egyptian god of the sun and, for much of Egyptian history, the most important god of all. His symbols were the sun disk and the solar barque, the boat in which the sun crossed the sky, and his main cult centre was Heliopolis, though he was worshipped everywhere in Egypt. He was often merged with other gods, as Ra-Horakhty with Horus and as Amun-Ra with Amun.
Aten – The Sun Disc of Egypt
The Aten was the visible disc of the sun, worshipped as a god in its own right and usually shown as a disc with rays reaching down to the earth.
Khepri – Egyptian God of the Rising Sun
Khepri was the god of the rising sun, creation and the renewal of life, usually shown as a scarab beetle or a man with a scarab for a head. Egyptians also linked the sun to Atum, who represented the sun as it sets.
Helios – Greek God of the Sun
Helios was the Greek personification of the sun, the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and brother of Selene (the moon) and Eos (the dawn). He was shown with a radiant crown, driving a horse-drawn chariot across the sky, and his main cult centre was the island of Rhodes. The Romans equated him with Sol.
Apollo – Greek God Later Linked to the Sun
Apollo was the Greek god of music, prophecy, healing and archery. From the 5th century BC he was often identified with Helios, which is why he is often called a sun god today, though in early Greek myth the sun itself was Helios.
Sol – Roman Sun God
Sol was the Roman sun god. A later form, Sol Invictus (“Unconquered Sun”), was long thought to have been brought to Rome from Syria by the emperor Aurelian; more recent scholarship argues the cult was a continuation of the older Roman sun god.
Sól – Norse Sun Goddess
In Norse mythology the sun is a goddess, Sól, the sister of the moon, Máni, who travels across the sky in a horse-drawn wagon. The poems foretell that a monstrous wolf will kill her at Ragnarök, but not before she gives birth to a daughter who will continue her course through the heavens.
Saulė – Baltic Sun Goddess
Saulė is the goddess of the sun in Baltic mythology, the tradition of the Lithuanians and Latvians. Carved idols of Saulė were still used in Lithuanian peasant rituals into modern times.
Surya – Sun God in Hinduism
Surya is the sun as a god in Hinduism. He is depicted riding a chariot drawn by seven horses, driven by his charioteer Aruṇa. The Gayatri Mantra is associated with him, and Hindus honour Surya at festivals including Pongal, Sankranti and Chhath.
Amaterasu – Shinto Sun Goddess
Amaterasu is the kami of the sun in Shinto and one of its most important deities. In the Kojiki, she retreats into the cave Ama-no-Iwato after her brother Susanoo’s misdeeds, plunging the world into darkness, until the other kami lure her out. She is the traditional ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan, and the inner shrine of the Ise Grand Shrine is dedicated to her.
Inti – Inca Sun God
Inti was the sun god of the Inca. The emperor and his family were believed to be descended from Inti, and the Inca ruler was considered his living representative. The festival of Inti Raymi honours the sun god and is celebrated today at Saksaywaman in Cusco.
Tonatiuh – Aztec Sun God
Tonatiuh was the Aztec god of the sun and of the daytime sky, known as “The Fifth Sun”. He was pictured as a fierce, warlike god, and it was thought that his daily journey across the sky was sustained by human sacrifice.
Shamash – Mesopotamian Sun God
Shamash, called Utu in Sumerian, was the Mesopotamian god of the sun and of justice. Because the sun sees everything, he was seen as a judge, and one well-known image of him appears on the stele inscribed with the law code of Hammurabi of Babylon.
Xihe – Chinese Sun Goddess
In Chinese mythology, Xihe is the mother of ten suns, who took turns crossing the sky. When all ten rose at once, the archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them and left one to keep the world in balance.
Kinich Ahau – Maya Sun God
Kinich Ahau was the Maya god of the sun. In the K’iche’ Maya story of the Hero Twins, the twin Hunahpu becomes the sun while his brother becomes the moon.
Sun Gods FAQ
- Who is the most powerful sun god? Ra is usually named, because the Egyptians placed him at the head of their gods for much of their history.
- Who is the Greek god of the sun? Helios. Apollo was linked with the sun later. See also who was the god of the sun and the Greek gods family tree chart.
- Is there a sun goddess? Yes: Amaterasu in Shinto, Sól in Norse myth and Saulė in Baltic tradition.
- Who is the Hindu sun god? Surya, who rides a chariot pulled by seven horses.
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